Woman Who Threatened Violent Attack at Gateway Community College is Sentenced

U.S. Attorney’s Office
March 03, 2014

District of Connecticut(203) 821-3700

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that Amanda C. Bowden, 21, formerly of East Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to approximately 10 months of imprisonment, time already served, followed by three years of supervised release, for threatening to carry out a violent attack at Gateway Community College in New Haven.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately February 4 and February 16, 2013, Bowden made numerous telephonic threats, initially through text messaging with a cooperating witness and subsequently through text messaging and verbal conversations with an undercover law enforcement agent, discussing her plans to commit a suicidal mass shooting and bombing at Gateway Community College in New Haven. In these communications, Bowden claimed to possess firearms and to have constructed at least two napalm-based bombs at her residence.

Bowden was arrested on February 19, 2013. On that date, investigating agents conducted a court-authorized search of Bowden’s East Haven residence. No firearms or explosive devices were found during the search.

On April 25, 2013, Bowden pleaded guilty to one count of false information and hoaxes.

Bowden was detained after her arrest until May 14, 2013, when she was released on bond into a Salvation Army program in Hartford that included mental health treatment. She was returned to federal custody on July 11, 2013, for violating the conditions of her release.

Upon her release from federal custody today, Bowden was transferred to a State of Connecticut inpatient mental health facility for further treatment. Bowden’s Internet usage will be monitored by the U.S. Probation Office during her term of supervised release.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New Haven Police Department, and the East Haven Police Department. The FBI’s JTTF includes participants from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Connecticut State Police, Bridgeport Police Department, Norwich Police Department, and the New York Police Department.